To make a good pie crust, keep all ingredients and utensils cold, use ice-cold water, and let the dough rest in the fridge. Use a mixture of flour, salt, shortening/butter/lard, and water. Pre-baking the crust is optional. Fill with desired filling and enjoy.
What’s the secret to a good pie crust Most cooks who make pie crusts on a regular basis have all the answers to this question. Some curse with shortening the mix, others with lard. Some say to sift the flour first, while others don’t. Is there a better way to make a pie crust other than the method, not really.
To prepare a good pie crust, the cook should always make sure that every ingredient and utensil is cold. Sounds weird. Not really. The heat causes the fat in the dough to bind to the gluten in the flour too quickly, so the pie crust becomes hard, not tender, and flaky. Then, place the bowl, fork, and blender in the freezer for about 20 minutes or so before making the crust. Also use ice cold water. Some people keep their flour in the fridge, but the cook can always measure it out and put it in the bowl in the freezer.
A basic tart recipe starts with one cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup shortening, butter or lard, and three tablespoons ice water. Butter shortening is always a good choice for a pie crust. Mix the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Then, use a dough blender to cut in the shortening until the dough forms pea-sized chunks.
Add about a tablespoon of water to the dough and begin to gently work it together into a dough. Add the water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture almost cleans the sides of the bowl. If more water is needed than the original three tablespoons, add it one teaspoon at a time. Gather the dough into a ball.
If time permits, let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It’s even better to make the pie crust dough early in the day and chill it for several hours or overnight. This allows the fat to solidify again, so the gluten won’t develop as much when the pie crust is rolled out.
On a floured board, marble slab, or floured wax paper, turn the dough out and flatten it with your hands into a round. Flour your rolling pin and start rolling the pie crust into a roughly round shape, until it’s about 5cm wider than the pie pan. Carefully fold the dough into quarters and place it in the pie pan, with the tip of the pie crust in the center of the pan. Unfold the pie crust and gently tap it into place on the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim the crust and groove it with your fingers or a fork, as desired.
Now comes another controversial question: Pre-cook or not Again, this is often a matter of personal preference. In longer oven-baked pies, the crust probably cooks through. With shorter cooking times, however, pre-baking the crust may be a good idea.
When pre-baking a pie crust, the cook should cover the edges with aluminum foil, as pre-baking, along with main-baking, can burn the crust. The crust can be baked in a hot oven – about 425°F (218°C) for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Some cooks also swear by using some sort of pie crust weights, such as beads or beans, when pre-baking. They say this keeps the pie crust from shrinking from the sides of the pan.
Either way, when the crust is ready, the cook can fill it with chocolate, coconut or lemon cream, apples, berries or peaches for a delicious dessert. The filling can be made while the dough is resting, by the way. The resulting delicious pie with a flaky crust is always worth it.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
